A tough economy is a terrific teacher, as Business by Design reports this month.

THIS MONTH:
+ Lessons Learned
+ Hero's Journey

+ Lessons Learned
This recession may be the best thing that ever happened to your interior design career.

That is, if you focus on what you're learning rather than on what you're losing.

You're learning how to work smarter. And how to do more with less. And how you need to serve your best clients better.

You're discovering which design services sell and which suffer in a lousy economy.

You're sharpening your selling skills. You're getting better at responding to "It's too expensive" or "Maybe I'll wait."

You're finding out which business advice to trust, and which to trash. When it comes to marketing, you're realizing what's a winner and what's a waste.

You're learning how to spend your time, energy and money when the going gets tough. And how to find opportunities where others see only obstacles.

You're learning how to persevere, dig deep, hang in, hang on, and maybe even find strength in the storm.

Sure, this "education" comes at a cost. It's cost you clients. And contracts. And, perhaps, confidence.

Maybe sales are down, bills are piling up, projects are ending, the phone's not ringing, and your calendar is sparse.

But behind that misery is a message.

If, after years in the design industry, you're struggling, the message is that you can't do business the old way.

If what used to work no longer does, then it's time to rethink and reflect--reflect on all the lessons you're learning in this recession.

+ Hero's Journey
No, I'm not suggesting you rejoice in this recession.

Rather, appreciate what it's giving you.

It's giving you a signal to make your design business leaner and meaner.

It's giving you resiliency.

And, it's giving you an opportunity to be a hero.

Those I admire most are not the designers and architects and window fashion professionals and industry partners who were successful from the get-go.

I respect them.

To me, the real heros are those who rise to the top after rebounding from setbacks, mistakes, lousy breaks, physical challenges, family problems, financial loss, or any of life's other hardships.

You can go from zero to hero when you stop thinking about what you've lost in this economy, and start thinking about what you've learned.